An eye for an eye
by The Angel of Insanity
Summary: Neku's had enough of Joshua and his games. That's not to say that they're all over. Joshua still has a few tricks up his sleeve, and there's something increidbly interesting about Neku. He's not gtiving up easily. JoshuaXNeku
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter One: Reunions**_

"Neku?"

That name. It's my name.

The thought registered in the boy's mind, but he didn't stir.

"Neku?"

He was okay just lying there. Floating in his personal darkness.

Whoever was calling him made an irritated noise.

"Come on Nekky dear. Wakey, wakey."

Neku woke with a start, sitting bolt upright on his bed, "Joshua!" His head snapped left and right, eyes darting around for any sight of the pale haired boy. He knew Josh wasn't there. How could he? Yet he could've sworn he heard that mocking giggle. Faintly, as if carried by the wind.

He slid back into his bed, eyes wide and awake. It had been only a short time since the game had ended. A month or so.

"Why am I even thinking about that asshole?" growled Neku to nobody in particular. He still hadn't forgiven him. For countless reasons...but... He shook his head, and covered his eyes with his pillow, willing himself to fall asleep.

Neku adjusted his headphones and shoved his hands in his pockets. He didn't wear them on his ears; they bounced loosely around where they hung on the back of his neck. He couldn't really bring himself to get rid of them. They reminded him so much of the Games. He kept them there as a sort of memento. He sighed, running a hand through his flame orange hair. The statue of Hachiko was up ahead.

A faint smile lit his features as he thought of seeing his friends again. Beat, Rhyme, Shiki. She had even begun to bring Eri along sometimes, the two were almost inseparable.

He reached the statue, but aside from the few people hanging straggling around the area. His friends were nowhere to be seen. That was strange; he checked the clock on his cell phone. They were all supposed to meet at 2:30. And right now it was- Neku's eyes snapped open in surprise. "1:00!"

That was impossible. He had left the house at that time! Had his cell phone stopped working? He looked up and around, jogging over to a schoolgirl who was fiddling with the straw of her soda. "Excuse me." He said. She turned to look at him, confused.

"Er, hi?" she eyed him curiously.

"Do you know the time?" he said, skipping the formalities. The girl looked more confused as ever, flipping her plush pink phone open, and checking the time with a quick glance, eyes hesitant to leave Neku in case he was pulling some sort of trick on her.

"It's 1:00, why?" she flipped her phone back closed, putting it back into her handbag.

Neku's eyes narrowed, "Okay. Thanks." He turned to walk away, hearing the clatters as the girl quickly seized her things and marched away hastily.

He slowly walked back to the statue. Scrolling through a list of possibilities. They forgot, they rescheduled and he didn't get the message, both of them, his and that girls, phones were wack...

"Hello Neku."

The voice made the orange-haired boy freeze. Of course. Only one person would do something like this, could do something like this. He looked up as the one person he had dreaded to see step out from behind the statue, ashy hair ruffling slightly in the soft breeze. Joshua.

"Miss me?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Confused Confrontations

"Joshua!" said Neku, taking a few stumbling steps back.

Joshua giggled, crossing his arms. "What's wrong Neku? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"You, I..." anger suddenly overcame him. "What are you playing at? Where are my friends!" he demanded.

"Obviously, not here yet." Answered the Composer, calm as ever. "If you haven't noticed Neku, you're astoundingly early" he smirked slyly.

Neku took a deep breath, clenching his fists. "Don't screw with me Josh. What do you want? Why are you here?"

"Questions, questions." Sighed Joshua, waving his hand dismissively, he grinned coldly at Neku, "Aren't you happy to see me?"

Neku frowned angrily, but stayed silent.

"I'll take that as a yes." Joshua took a few steps forward.

In one swift motion, Neku reached forward and grabbed Joshua by the front of the shirt, lifting him up so his feet barely touched the ground. "What the hell do you want Josh?" he said, fiery bangs covering his eyes.

Joshua laughed his little laugh again, "Why Neku? Do I need a valid reason to come and visit my partner?"

Neku made an irritated sound, before letting Joshua down, then turning around to stalk off in the other direction. He took deep breaths, trying hard to calm himself, to put as much distance as he could between him and that bastard.

It was no use though, he heard the footsteps as he caught up to him. Saw the flash of pale blue from his shirt as he matched Neku's stride, trotting beside him.

"Gee Neku; you've become so rude since you left the UG. And here I thought you had actually learnt your lesson."

Neku just ignored him, slipping his headphones back on his ears.

Joshua gave that dark giggle, "Still haven't forgiven me I see."

Still no answer from the other boy.

"Come on Neku. You're back in the RG now, no harm done right?"

"Leave me alone."

"Ah, so you _can_ actually hear me?"

Neku clenched his fists again, nails digging into his palms. Of course, Joshua didn't miss the gesture, "Am I making you angry?"

"Hell yes."

Joshua giggled, "Finally. An answer."

They had passed 104 by now, walking in front of Ramen Don in Dogenzaka. "Neku?"

The taller boy whirled around, sick and tired of the confusion. "Josh you bet-"he froze in mid sentence.

He was back at Hachiko. "Yo' Phones!" Neku looked up in surprise as he heard the voice. His friends were walking towards him, Beat waving his arm whilst smiling goofily. Neku blinked and reached into his pocket.

He flipped the phone open, "2:30." He muttered, blue eyes wide with disbelief.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Meaning what?

"Phones? Yo' Phones? Phooones?"

Neku was barely aware of the conversation swirling around him.

"Neku? Neku!"

He snapped his head up in surprise as he realized they had been calling him. The boy mumbled a hasty apology, picking absent mindedly at his burger.

"Wus' wrong man? You ignoring me on purpose?" said Beat, frowning and crossing his arms over his chest.

Neku sighed and shook his head, "No. I'm really sorry...Uh, I didn't get much sleep last night..." he said admittedly, reaching backwards and ruffling the back of his head.

Shiki's eyes clouded with worry, "Why not?" she glanced around quickly and lowered her voice "I-it's not got to do with the Game is it?" her eyes flickered around the restaurant, as if noise would start hurling themselves out of the walls at any minute.

Neku hesitated, "No...It's not that."

"Then what is it?"

Neku looked up cautiously, at the worried eyes of his friends. Could he really lie to them, to the people who had kept him going, kept him from being erased?

"I-I" he looked back down. "My parents are fighting" he mumbled quickly, already feeling guilty for the lie.

"Oh...Oh Neku I'm so sorry." Said Shiki, reaching out to lay a comforting hand on Neku's shoulder. That wasn't helping.

"I'm alright." He said, feeling his throat tighten. He hated lying to his friends but...

"Geez Phones...Man..." Beat looked down, unable to find the words.

The rest of the meal went on in silence. It was like torture, making his friends worry like that...

After the hasty goodbyes, they all made their ways home in silence. Neku absent mindedly shoved his hands into his pockets, looking down as he walked. He was confused. Conflicted. Had he imagined the whole confrontation with Joshua? One minute he was Dogenzaka with a good hour to spare, the next he was back at Hachiko.

"You seem troubled Neku." A voice rang out among the other city sounds, clear and strong against the noise.

Neku froze, and tensed up, hiding his scowl with the collar of his top. "Joshua?" he said, lacing his voice with poison.

"Ouch Neku. You sound angry." The silver haired boy had suddenly appeared, walking next to him.

"You think?" snapped Neku, turning his head sharply to glare at Joshua with cold blue eyes.

Joshua smirked and laughed, "Why are you so mad Neku? You saw your friends. I didn't take up much of your time." He shook his head. "You'd think that you would have missed me more. We did spend a week together." Another giggle.

"Yeah, one whole torturous week that I wouldn't of had to go through if you hadn't shot me in the first place." Growled Neku, scowling angrily.

Joshua smirked and tucked some of his long hair behind his ear, "Now really Neku. Your back now, no harm done right?"

"No harm done!" roared Neku, whirling around to face the other boy.

"No harm done! Yeah right, I ran around for three weeks fighting of reapers and noise, I had to put up with losing my partner, twice. I-" he stopped and just stood there panting.

"I'm not wasting any more of my time." He spat, and turned to walk away.

"Neku." Josh sounded different, distant. Cold...even hurt maybe. Another one of his tricks most likely, Neku didn't stop walking.

"Neku please, just..." Joshua watched as the flame haired boy turned a corner. He sighed. Him and his games. He always had to hurt someone, and even then he didn't learn.


End file.
